COLUMBIA TWP, MI – Awash in both cheers of support and jeers of distain, member of the Confederates of Michigan proudly waved their Confederate battle flags at passing cars during their one-year anniversary rally Sunday, May 22.

More than 20 members of the 5,200 member strong group came out for the event held at the Governor Austin Blair Memorial Roadside Park, waving at passersby with one hand and swinging a battle flag in the other.

The group created a Facebook page to aid with organizing events and sharing information with the community.

Arguing that the flag represents heritage and not hate, founder of the group, Steve Panther, organizes numerous flag rallies throughout the year to show pride for the flag and to speak about what the flag means to him and the group.

"We may be holding Confederate flags, but does not mean we are hateful," Panther said. "We wave it for our heritage and for families of veterans of the confederacy who were just defending their land."